LGBTQ2+ Canadians are urging for more meaningful policy discussion regarding queer issues ahead of this month’s federal election.
“The role [LGBTQ2+ people] currently play is being used to score what I would describe as cheap political points,” said Fae Johnstone, an LGBTQ2+ activist and master’s student at Carleton University.
“Our communities are being used more for the political use than being referenced in a way that centres our needs, our identities and the issues we have this election,” they added.
Coco Chen, an asexual YouTuber who makes videos on Canadian politics—including an explanation of each of the major parties’ stances on LGBTQ2+ issues—agreed.
She reiterated Johnstone’s concerns that there is a lack of meaningful conversation in this election about LGBTQ2+ issues.
“So far, what it looks like is the Liberals trying to get one over on the Conservatives,” she said. “It’s nothing to really do with policy.”
Johnstone said candidates cannot simply support diversity in a superficial way.
“We haven’t heard a lot of conversation that moves beyond the party saying, ‘Yes, we will support LGBT communities,’” they said. “We haven’t heard specific funding commitments.”
Johnstone pointed to issues such as conversion therapy, non-consensual surgeries on intersex children, employment inequity faced by LGBTQ2+ youth and the blood donation ban for men who have had sex with men within three months of donating.
Some of these issues have been addressed in the Liberal, NDP and Green Party’s platforms, but party leaders have made few public announcements about them.
Johnstone said politicians are not putting enough emphasis on LGBTQ2+ issues, instead relying on their own assumptions of support from the community.
“I think most of the parties come into this assuming they’re going to be getting the LGBTQ vote,” Johnstone said. “The Liberals, the NDPs and the Greens all think this vote is firmly on their side of the aisle.”
Chen agreed, highlighting the importance of parties actively showing their support.
“There’s just this passive understanding that the other parties—the Liberals, the NDPs and the Greens—will be supporting LGBTQ+ issues,” she said. “Pressuring these parties to actually put their money where their mouth is would be a good step.”
Chen said politicians are not addressing queer issues because their problems do not seem urgent.
“Because gay marriage is legalized and pride parades have become more mainstream, there’s an assumption now in society that homophobia, transphobia, etc. are not as prevalent anymore,” she said.
LGBTQ2+ people have indeed received more representation in this federal election, with more openly queer candidates than ever before.
According to Daily Xtra, 74 candidates who identify as LGBTQ2+ are running for office.
“That’s a big step in the right direction,” said Johnstone. “Having those folks involved in the parties, putting their names forward means that these issues are likely to get more attention.”
However, RJ Jones, an LGBTQ2+ activist who identifies as two-spirit, said politicians must also recognize the underrepresentation in LGBTQ2+ spaces.
“You’ll only see white LGBTQ people or white LGBTQ trans folks that are at the forefront of these conversations, but they experience queerness and transness very differently,” he said.
“Seeing prioritization of Black and Indigenous folks and people of colour and having their feedback in these conversations is crucial.”
Johnstone said they hope to see a candidate take the lead on LGBTQ2+ issues.
“We need somebody who steps up and says that these issues matter to voters, that these issues matter to their parties,” they said.
“That, I think, is what would actually change the conversation, instead of just using us when we’re politically convenient.”
Featured graphic by Paloma Callo. Audio documentary by KC Hoard.
